The members of the European Union and ten other countries called on Russia to withdraw its troops and equipment, as well as the personnel of the “Rosatom” from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (NPP) and return it to full control of Ukraine. They noted this in EU Statement at IAEA Board of Governors on nuclear safety, security and safeguards in Ukraine on March 9, 2023.
Source: EU Statement at IAEA Board of Governors on nuclear safety, security and safeguards in Ukraine
“The EU and its Member States will never recognize Russia’s attempted illegal seizure of the ZNPP. We strongly call on Russia to withdraw its military equipment and all personnel, including that of ROSATOM from the ZNPP, and return its full control to its rightful owner, Ukraine,” says the EU statement.
In addition to the EU members and Ukraine, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway joined the statement.
According to the EU statement, the Russian Federation has shown no signs of compliance with the three resolutions adopted by the IAEA Board of Directors in 2022 and the previous consensus resolutions of the IAEA General Conference, which state that “any armed attack on and threat against nuclear facilities devoted to peaceful purposes constitutes a violation of the principles of the UN Charter, international law and the Statute of the Agency”.
“Many near-miss incidents have taken place. A nuclear accident with all its radiological consequences could so far be avoided, largely thanks to the resilience and dedication of the Ukrainian operating staff. The Russian Federation must stop pressuring the Ukrainian staff. They are working in increasingly small numbers and under high stress to maintain the safety and security of the ZNPP,” noted the EU countries in statement.
The EU confirmed that it fully supports the work of the IAEA in providing assistance to Ukraine in the field of nuclear safety and implementation of guarantees and emphasizes the importance of the agency’s continued presence at all nuclear facilities in our country.
See also: Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is completely de-energized due to Russian shelling
